• Saturday-What'sUP November 20 - 03:13 am

Steam bathing at it's finest. No better way to relax than to fire up the sauna (pronounced sow'-na), grab a towel and come clean in a sweat lodge! Peter Tormala captured the experience you'll enjoy from the very beginning, with the sign on the door, the stove, to the water and sauna stones waiting to produce the steam. If you've never had the pleasure of 'taking a sauna', you're missing an adventure. Time to go fire mine up and experience the löyly myself!

Oh, I almost forgot - - anyone want to take a crack at translating the Finnish in the first picture?

Something about warming the sauna?

Might the translation be: who is going to warm the suana?

Have a good day all!! And stay warm!!
Best wishes,
Renee

I admit, I had no clue as to what it meant and spent about 1/2 an hour cruising the net and came up with "who is going to warm the sauna?"
Renee must have been quicker than me in her quest to find the answer or she already knew it! Hope you all are enjoying your first snowfall. Just a dusting here in the middle of the L.P.

Okay, so what is everyone's theory about what kind of stone works best on a sauna stove??? Lake stone or field stone? Large or small? I'm curious as I have heard many thoughts on this over the years. That stove sure looks like it has had its share of hot fires!

I could sure go for a sauna! Sine the question revolves around "who" is going to heat this one, you have a volunteer here!

Saturday is always sauna time!!(or anytime)As the Finnish song and translation are the same, I believe it means who is going to put or make the steam(vetta) on the rocks??It makes loylla(steam). A sauna is great therapy for the mind and body. At the camp, it's great to take steam and then jump in the lake..how refreshing!!We wouldn't be without one and my husband isn't even Finnish..

Just wanted to remind everyone that three of our sponsors that sell sauna stoves and sauna heaters as well as custom built sauna cabins are listed here:

TouchofFinland.com
Nippa.com
SuperiorSaunas.com

Be sure to check out their websites to purchase sauna accessories too.

Fr. McGee from St. Al's on da Tech campus took me down to meet John Gagnon in Chassell and I was introduced to sauna there. John had made his own stove and spaced a brick wall around it. There were special hooks that hung down between the brick and the stove and he put sauna sausage (sorry, I dare not try the Finnish spelling)on the hook and heated it quickly while we took heat. We had it on some bread with beer while sitting in the cooling room telling tales. Strictly to replenish our salts and liquids! Another time it was hamburgers stuffed with blue cheese. My mouth waters thinking of it. Two very fine men.

Re: Kuka lammittaa saunan--here's the song:

"Kukapa sen saunan lammittaapi?

Kukapa sen saunen lammittaapi,
(Who will ever heat the sauna bathhouse)
Jos en tytto mina!
If not I, your only girl?)
Rai, rii rallal lei,
Ja jos en tytto mina!
(And if not I, your only girl?)
Ja kukapa se mitten toylyn lyopi (not sure of this spelling)
(And who will ever scrub your brawny back,)
jos et poika sina!
(Say, if not I, your only girl?)
Rai, rii, ral-lal-lei,
Ja jos et poika sina!
(And if not I, your only girl.)

If you marry me, you lusty fellow
Happy then shall we two be!
Rai rii, rallallei
And happy then shall we two be.

And always shall I keep your bathhouse steaming,
Every blessed Saturday!
Rai rii, rallallei
And every blessed Saturday.

Can't tell you where I found this-- I used it in a paper I wrote in 1962 about music in the Copper Country. The paper is in the Tech archives &
unfortunately (shame on me) I did not cite the source. I am SURE it must be in some Finnish songbooks.

Re the stones: I had heard that Lake Superior stones don't crack when heated & are the best for the sauna stove. My dad used to heat them (down in Menominee) in an outdoor hot fire, then rub them with suet and fry "minute" steaks on them. "Steaks-on-stones" became a family treat and my dad was notable for them (among other things).

One of the best electric sauna stoves is manufactured right in Dollar Bay by the A&L Fabricating Company. They also have a neat website.

Don't Da Yoopers have a song called "Da Sauna Song", with a lady singing the lyrics in Finnish?

Sauna Rules:
1. Sit on top pench at yuu own rdisk.
2. Member tis: Yuu dumbel town ant prake yuu bones at own rdisk.
3. If svet kets in yuu eyes, chust plink coppla dimes.
4. If yuu ket sliffer in yuu packsite from ta pench, ton't holler tuu lowt. Naypers vil tink vee putsering a pic ant pe looken for pork sops next tay, ant ritavay pe asken: "Vhen ta het ceese pe ton?"
5. Vhen yuu all ton (or if yuu lip on ta sop) pudit pack inta sop tis.
Ton't leef it melden onta pench.
6. If yuu ket tuu hot Ko chump in ta lake!

Sauna Rules: I forgot rule 2 wasn't complete!
1. Sit on top pench at yuu own rdisk.
2. Member tis: Tuu muts teem kets yuu reel tizzy!Yuu dumbel town ant prake yuu bones at own rdisk.
3. If svet kets in yuu eyes, chust plink coppla dimes.
4. If yuu ket sliffer in yuu packsite from ta pench, ton't holler tuu lowt. Naypers vil tink vee putsering a pic ant pe looken for pork sops next tay, ant ritavay pe asken: "Vhen ta het ceese pe ton?"
5. Vhen yuu all ton (or if yuu lip on ta sop) pudit pack inta sop tis.
Ton't leef it melden onta pench.
6. If yuu ket tuu hot Ko chump in ta lake!

translated from Finnish - means "Who's Going To Warm the Sauna," by Negaunee resident and Finland native Tanya Stanaway.

It's sure hard to be a sauna girl in a non-sauna world... I go to college in Indiana during the school year, and of course no one here has one. I went to a folklore conference in Atlanta last month, and I took a sauna at the hotel every day, the real way. Only one person ever walked in on me and she was also a folklorist, so she chalked it up to a cultural experience.
My favorite sauna song is Conga Se Menne's "Sauna Song." It has a reggae beat, of course, and it has one of the best music videos ever made. There is just something appealing about a bunch of guys with chainsaws taking down a tree, and then turning to the camera to sing about a nice sauna after a hard day's work.
Hauskaa kiitospäivää pian!

That sauna looks good! Someone in Georgia needs to discover them!

Having a great time at Fran's house... The bird looks good... so does the bisd!!!!!!!!!

This also few nice SAUNA.;

http://www.sauna-show.de/saunen-parade.htm

We need the sauna here today. It says 50 on the outdoor thermometer, but it is closer to 30 with the wind blowing.

That is hilarious Bessemerbj. Question: Is the sauna still a communal thing or strickly private? I can't imagine sharing it.

We always split it by gender. It's more fun with others!

Jarmo -- Thank you for the great show!

Great pictures Jarmo

I wish I had a sauna!

Jukuris (spelling ?) in Laurium was our first experience in 1965. Probably long gone.

Detroiters used to be able to sauna on 8 Mile Rd on the far west side near Livonia. I am unsure if they are still there or not, but I'll bet they are. Spent many a pleasant time there with a great lady who still lives in Hancock from my college days. She taught me SAUNA..........

All I have to say is this: SAUNAS ROCK!

hey cousin Peter....great shots....had many Saturday night saunas in that one...it brings back many memories of fish fries....uncle gary always warmed the sauna...we'll let ya'll know when we come back for one...lake superior rocks are the only ones to use...they don't split, but when it's hot enough they whistle!!!! take care yoopers

It's my job to find replacement rocks. I prefer doing this in the summer when,for each bucket I haul to the trunk,I reward myself with a few dives. When the work is done I stay and swim till I am wrinkled and dizzy and it's too dark to see.
With daylight comes the inspection.They are separated into two categories: Sauna and Garden.
This is MY kind of shopping spree!

I'm having a hard time translating #4 and #5 of the "Sauna Rules" Anyone interested in helping this "troll"? (Is #4 something about getting a sliver in your backside? Does #5 have something to do with putting the soap back in the soap dish and not let it melt on the bench???)
Have to admit that "my" Finnish is sorely lacking ... the UP family always reminds me about my pronunciation of "saw-na"!

Here's the English Translation:

1.Sit on the top bench at your own risk.
2.Remember this: Too much steam gets you real dizzy. You tumble down and break your bones at your own risk.
3.If you get sweat in your eyes, just blink a couple times.
4.If you get a sliver in your backside from the bench, don’t holler too loud. The neighbors will think you’re butchering a pig and will be looking for pork chops the next day, and right away will be asking,” When will the headcheese be done?”
5.When you are all done (or if you slip on the soap), put it back in the soap dish. Don’t let it melt on to the bench.
6.If you get too hot, go jump in the lake!

Always remember #4, then you'll know it's SOW-na! (and I love "Guess who's coming to Sauna, Heikki Lunta").

Living here in California, I miss Juk's, too -- when I lived in Laurium, it was just a few blocks down the street. There's nothing like walking home in the middle of winter after sauna, with your cheeks all rosy and wet hair!

To all the purists do you feel that an electric sauna is just as good as a wood fired one? I grew up with a little electric one at the house in town and a wood one at camp and to this day don't notice a difference. YOu can through water on both and each gets nice an hot(above 190). Just want to know others thoughts